GOOD PRACTICE FROM ARGENTINA
Plug-in , a social project to improve substandard housing by using discarded materials
More than eight million Argentinian families live in precarious conditions , with low income and limited housing options . Plug-in Social was established in 2013 , with the aim of helping to reduce the housing deficit and provide sustainable housing to low-income communities . Its pillars are collaborative work , renewable energy , recycling , and design .
By teaching about renewable energy and the reuse of materials , the project equips substandard homes with various devices ( solar collectors , shower modules ) in order to improve their basic conditions . The residents are expected to participate in a learning process by attending a two-day workshop . Here , students , professionals , enthusiasts , and local residents collaborate , utilizing industrial and / or household waste to build “ modules ”— parts of houses that are self-sustainable in terms of energy . This provides vulnerable families with access to housing solutions that are environmentally friendly and meet basic needs such as access to water , sanitary hot water , sewage treatment , electricity , and gas .